Kit Review

Straight build
+ panel lining + decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

1. Basic Photo

Upper body close-up

The face is small, but the head itself is proportionally a bit bigger than you'd expect..

MG Gundam Exia - Shoulders, arms, and weapons (1/4)

MG Gundam Exia - Shoulders, arms, and weapons (2/4)

Shoulders, arms, and weapons

Rear view

Legs

The green clear parts on the head, torso, arms, legs, etc.
Letters are intricately engraved into the green clear parts.

MG Gundam Exia - For the arms and legs, it's a double-clear setup where a clear part is placed over a base sticker, and then

For the arms and legs, it's a double-clear setup where a clear part is placed over a base sticker, and then a green part is layered on top.
Very premium and refined, just as you'd expect from an MG..

MG Gundam Exia - The hologram sheet used in the MG Gundam Exia. It shows a rainbow-colored reflection depending on the viewin

The hologram sheet used in the MG Gundam Exia.
It shows a rainbow-colored reflection depending on the viewing angle.

MG Gundam Exia - One thing to watch out for! Some of you may not have been able to read the manual since it's in Japanese — t

One thing to watch out for!
Some of you may not have been able to read the manual since it's in Japanese — the hologram sheet has a front and back side.
One side is smooth and reflects light well (left), while the other side (right) is rough and textured.
Since the actual hologram coating is on the rough side, you need to assemble it with that side facing outward.
(The manual says to put the shiny side facing inward, which means the same thing.)

MG Gundam Exia - Most of the hologram sheet parts are labeled with letters, so you can just follow the numbers in the manual

Most of the hologram sheet parts are labeled with letters,
so you can just follow the numbers in the manual and assemble both arms and legs correctly..
However, the strip-shaped hologram sheets on the shoulders are symmetrical with no left/right distinction,
so you'll need to look closely and make sure the rough coated side is facing outward when assembling.

Hologram sheets on the thighs and head.

MG Gundam Exia - Since the hologram sheets on the arms and legs are semi-transparent, you can see the internal slide gimmick

Since the hologram sheets on the arms and legs are semi-transparent,
you can see the internal slide gimmick moving through them.

MG Gundam Exia - If you look closely at the thighs, there's also an internal slide gimmick, and you can see it moving through

If you look closely at the thighs, there's also an internal slide gimmick,
and you can see it moving through the back of the semi-transparent hologram sheet.
A nice little MG bonus.

Sole detail. Simpler than I expected..

Cockpit hatch open.

MG Gundam Exia - There's also a gimmick where both chest ducts open outward, so you can open them up to fully expose the GN D

There's also a gimmick where both chest ducts open outward, like in the photo on the right above,
so you can open them up to fully expose the GN Drive.

You can swap in a red cap (?) in place of the GN Drive.

Spreading the three locking pins that hold the GN Drive in place allows you to detach it.

The slot left behind after removing the GN Drive.

MG Gundam Exia - The tip of the GN Drive can be pushed in or pulled out like this. The default is to have it pushed in, but i

The tip of the GN Drive can be pushed in or pulled out like this.
The default is to have it pushed in, but in most of the artwork it's pulled out.
So it seems like the idea is to show a difference between the stowed state and the GN Drive active mode,
and honestly, having it pulled out does look better.
Also worth noting, the internal connection on that moving part is weak and keeps popping out... You might need to glue it.

2. Weapon & Accessory

The weapons and accessories stick to the basics.

Including the beam sabers, it does technically make Seven Swords.. ^^;

Unlike the no-grade version, all the blade parts are individually separated, which looks really sharp.

GN Sword.

GN Shield

The blue sections open and close to the sides. An MG-exclusive gimmick.

The GN Blade with its standout color separation.

MG Gundam Exia - For the handle section, there's a hole in the white part, and a dark-colored rod is pushed into it to comple

For the handle section, there's a hole in the white part, and
a dark-colored rod is pushed into it to complete the color separation.
Pretty nice touch.

MG Gundam Exia - The GN Blade mounting point next to the hip joint has also been cleverly redesigned. Unlike the 1/100 where

The GN Blade mounting point next to the hip joint has also been cleverly redesigned.
Unlike the 1/100 where it was a detachable type with iffy retention, here it's integrated with the hip joint.
You pull the round section outward, then draw out the ball joint-shaped locking pin.

MG Gundam Exia - Fitting the GN Blade's mount onto the ball joint holds it securely. It locks in more flexibly yet more firml

Fitting the GN Blade's mount onto the ball joint holds it securely.
It locks in more flexibly yet more firmly than the 1/100 — definitely something you can give an MG-worthy thumbs up to!

The rear beam sabers can swing upward and also tilt sideways for easy drawing.

MG Gundam Exia - The beam sabers on the back of the shoulders also move about 90 degrees up and down. (The no-grade 1/100 has

The beam sabers on the back of the shoulders also move about 90 degrees up and down.
(The no-grade 1/100 has them fixed at a downward 45-degree angle.)

Since it's an MG, the palm pegs connect to all the various weapons,
so grip is basically never an issue.

MG Gundam Exia - The GN Drive unit even comes with its own display stand. The special Ignition Mode version includes a workin

The GN Drive unit even comes with its own display stand.
The special Ignition Mode version includes a working LED light-up feature,
but the normal version is assembled with the internal LED section left empty.
Because of that, the round clear part doesn't sit very securely.. In my case, I just glued it in place.

MG Gundam Exia - The 1/100 scale figures. They're figures of the protagonist Setsuna and the maintenance robot known as "Haro

The 1/100 scale figures.
They're figures of the protagonist Setsuna and the maintenance robot known as "Haro."
I get Setsuna, but I have no idea why they threw in a maintenance robot out of nowhere. (Maybe there was leftover space on the runners and they added it as a bonus?)
Poor thing doesn't even get a mention in the manual.

3. Mechanic Frame

Removing the outer frame

Internal frame.

Torso frame. Surprisingly sparse on detail.

The head doesn't really have much of a frame to speak of.

The shoulder frame, with its standout molded color, is probably the best-looking part..

MG Gundam Exia - The arm/leg frames.. are pretty underwhelming in terms of detail. The forearms don't even have a frame at al

The arm/leg frames.. are pretty underwhelming in terms of detail.
The forearms don't even have a frame at all.

On top of that, the polycaps can't be secured by the frame alone.

MG Gundam Exia - To pose it in frame-only state, you actually need to attach the rear thigh and rear shin armor for the body

To pose it in frame-only state, you actually need to attach the rear thigh and rear shin armor
for the body to hold together properly.
That's quite surprising for a modern MG..

In frame-only state, the shoulders can bend 90 degrees forward.

MG Gundam Exia - Thanks to the combination of ball joints and a front-to-back movement gimmick, the torso's forward and backw

Thanks to the combination of ball joints and a front-to-back movement gimmick, the torso's forward and backward range of motion is pretty decent.

MG Gundam Exia - Interestingly, the upper shoulder area rotates slightly around the GN Drive. Quite a unique and novel articu

Interestingly, the upper shoulder area rotates slightly around the GN Drive.
Quite a unique and novel articulation gimmick..

The forearms and thighs have a simple but functional slide gimmick.

The MG Gundam Exia also features a new hip joint gimmick.

MG Gundam Exia - As shown above, the hip joint socket moves up and down at a somewhat awkward angle, but the left and right s

As shown above, the hip joint socket moves up and down at a somewhat awkward angle,
and the left and right sides move independently.

Like this, when you lower the hip joint socket down, you can raise the thigh a bit higher.

Heh, anyway, pulling off a squatting pose is a piece of cake.

Action poses with just the frame.

MG Gundam Exia - Huh.. wait.. there's almost no inner armor molding, which has been considered a basic staple of MG kits for

Huh.. wait..
There's almost no inner armor molding, which has been considered a basic staple of MG kits for ages. -_-;

Some armor pieces do have inner molding, but for the most part, you'd have to say it's pretty much absent.

Fortunately, the skirt interior has proper parts separation, so the molding there is intact.

4. Action

MG Gundam Exia - Articulation. Left is the default position, right is with the hip joint lowered. There's quite a difference

Articulation.
Left is the default position, right is with the hip joint lowered.
There's quite a difference depending on whether you use the hip joint gimmick or not.

MG Gundam Exia - That level of hip articulation is top-tier.. but it's still a tough pose to pull off with just the hip joint

That level of hip articulation is top-tier..
But it's still a tough pose to pull off with just the hip joint movement alone.

One of the new things MG Gundam Exia tries is a two-stage front skirt.

MG Gundam Exia - Thanks to the front skirt that slides up in this surprisingly dramatic way, the hip joints get a much greate

Thanks to the front skirt that slides up in this surprisingly dramatic way,
the hip joints get a much greater range of motion.

MG Gundam Exia - The ankles do have double ball joints, but.. the range of motion isn't as wide as you'd expect. If anything,

The ankles do have double ball joints, but..
the range of motion isn't as wide as you'd expect.
If anything, there's a bit of a durability concern... T_T
Especially since the upper polycap rotates with a bit of play, which actually makes it feel even less secure;

MG Gundam Exia - The toe tips have an additional joint. It's not really a necessary point of articulation.. it feels like a g

The toe tips have an additional joint.
It's not really a necessary point of articulation.. it feels like a gimmick added to differentiate it from the 1/100, but
it actually reduces ground contact stability, so it feels a bit like an unnecessary addition..

The shoulders can raise up about this much..

Not quite as much as in frame-only mode,
but the shoulders do swing forward to a decent degree.

MG Gundam Exia - Interestingly, there's a gimmick where the upper torso rotates. Thanks to that, the waist bends quite a bit

Interestingly, there's a gimmick where the upper torso rotates.
Thanks to that, the waist bends quite a bit to either side.

The forward and backward waist articulation is also above average..

Since the beam saber mount on the rear end rotates freely, drawing poses look very natural.

MG Gundam Exia - However.. even though this is an MG, the arms seem to have gotten shorter, making it hard to properly grab t

However.. even though this is an MG, the arms seem to have gotten shorter,
making it hard to properly grab the beam saber on the back of the shoulder..

MG Gundam Exia - Kneeling beam dagger action. The hip joint gimmick is great, so the pose comes together quite naturally. (1/

Kneeling beam dagger action.
The hip joint gimmick is great, so the pose comes together quite naturally.

MG Gundam Exia - GN Blade action. You can feel a naturalness that's a step above the no-grade. (1/5)

MG Gundam Exia - GN Blade action. You can feel a naturalness that's a step above the no-grade. (2/5)

MG Gundam Exia - GN Blade action. You can feel a naturalness that's a step above the no-grade. (3/5)

GN Blade action.
You can feel a naturalness that's a step above the no-grade.

MG Gundam Exia - Dynamic shooting pose. (1/5)

MG Gundam Exia - Dynamic shooting pose. (2/5)

MG Gundam Exia - Dynamic shooting pose. (3/5)

Dynamic shooting pose.

MG Gundam Exia - Oh wow.. now that's a GN Sword action pose worthy of an MG. (1/4)

MG Gundam Exia - Oh wow.. now that's a GN Sword action pose worthy of an MG. (2/4)

Oh wow.. now that's a GN Sword action pose worthy of an MG.

MG Gundam Exia - Joint strength is solid overall, so whatever pose you put it in, it holds. Even holding the fairly large GN

Joint strength is solid overall, so whatever pose you put it in, it holds.
Even holding the fairly large GN Sword, the arm and grip strength hold up well.

MG Gundam Exia - Dual beam saber action. (1/4)

MG Gundam Exia - Dual beam saber action. (2/4)

MG Gundam Exia - Dual beam saber action. (3/4)

MG Gundam Exia - Dual beam saber action. (4/4)

Double beam saber action.

5. Comparison

MG Gundam Exia - Comparison with the 1/100 no-grade Gundam Exia. The 1/100 came out so well that the MG had quite a lot to li

Comparison with the 1/100 no-grade Gundam Exia.
The 1/100 came out so well that the MG had quite a lot to live up to..

MG Gundam Exia - First, a close comparison of the bodies. The difference in proportions stands out more than any difference i

First, a close comparison of the bodies.
The difference in proportions stands out more than any difference in detail or color.
The MG's shoulders look narrower.. though looking at it now, maybe the 1/100's shoulders were just too wide to begin with.

MG Gundam Exia - A close comparison of the torso. The overall proportions have been subtly tweaked, but the detail doesn't lo

A close comparison of the torso.
The overall proportions have been subtly tweaked, but the detail doesn't look all that different..
The shape of the chest ducts has changed though.

MG Gundam Exia - The arms have gotten shorter and thicker. That's the opposite direction from what you'd usually expect in a

The arms have gotten shorter and thicker.
That's the opposite direction from what you'd usually expect in a 1/100 to MG comparison..

Leg comparison.
Similar, but the angles have gotten sharper.

The way the light purple band sections are represented is quite different.

The head has gotten bigger on the MG ;

The GN Drive.. also looks pretty similar at a glance.

The difference in articulation is clear,
but the original 1/100 is actually pretty good too.

MG Gundam Exia - GN Sword comparison. The notable changes are the blade being split into separate parts and the added color s

GN Sword comparison.
The notable changes are the blade being split into separate parts and the added color separation on the shield side.

Looking at detail alone.. the 1/100 is actually a little more refined ^^;

Without the stickers, it's hard to tell the 1/100 and MG shields apart;;;

Comparison with MG First 2.0.
The MG Gundam Exia has a slightly better build.

Straight build shot

Before long, the major SEED-era suits have been getting their MG releases wrapped up, and now the suits from 00, which has finished airing through its second season, are starting to get the MG treatment too. The first one up is naturally Gundam Exia.

The 00 MG line had to come out of the gate carrying quite a bit of pressure, and that's because the 1/100 no-grade was just so well done. Articulation and the inner frame are things you can push to a certain level with enough development investment.. but the 1/100 already had really solid proportions, so it wasn't going to be easy to make the MG look visually distinct. Back in the SEED 1/100 days, the proportions were so different you could tell at a glance whether something was an MG or a 1/100 — so for the 00 MG developers, having a 1/100 that already looked almost MG-quality must have been a real burden.

Once I actually cracked it open and built it, the first thing that came out of my mouth was "yep, an MG is an MG!" You can see the effort to differentiate it from the 1/100 in a number of areas, and between the densely packed gimmicks and the overall sharp, crisp detailing, it definitely gives you a different feeling from building the 1/100 — it really does make you feel like you're building an MG.

That said, the proportions themselves inevitably didn't change all that dramatically. Aside from the shoulders being slightly narrower and the details being a bit sharper, honestly the changes are subtle enough that telling it apart from the 1/100 at a glance is a bit of a stretch. Get a little closer, though, and you can definitely recognize it as an MG from the more refined finish, the color quality, the clean panel lines, and the detailing. Either way, it does feel like a more composed, stable-looking set of proportions compared to the 1/100.

The new things they tried to differentiate it from the 1/100 include representing the light purple band sections with a holographic sheet, and the round lens sections being done in a two-layer structure of clear and green clear. This holographic sheet produces a rainbow-colored reflection depending on how the light hits it, giving it a premium feel befitting an MG. When assembling the holographic sheet, you need to pay attention to which side is which — the slightly rough side is the coated outer surface, so make sure you get the orientation right. The green clear lenses also have fine text laser-engraved into them, which is again the kind of thing you really couldn't attempt outside of an MG.

The hip joint area introduces yet another new mechanism — instead of moving forward and backward, the hips are designed to swing diagonally up and down. On top of that, each side moves independently, which lets the thighs kick up to a pretty impressive angle. Along with the hip joints, the front skirts have also been redesigned with a double-articulated system that lets them swing up quite high — it seems like a really effective gimmick. Since you can completely clear the front skirts out of the way from the lower body's front, you can push the hip joint articulation to its absolute limit.

One thing I personally really want to give props for is the way the GN Blades are mounted. On the old HG and 1/100, the GN Blades were attached to both hip joints using a swap-out attachment system — the hold was always a bit iffy and they constantly got in the way during posing. On the MG Gundam Exia, they've fixed this with an open/close gimmick combined with a ball joint for a solid lock, so the blades don't fall off easily and you've got a wide range of angles to position them however you like. It's a great example of using engineering to "definitively" overcome a design shortcoming.

On the other hand, the double joint used at the ankles looks a bit problematic — the range of motion isn't all that wide, and the durability feels a little questionable. To make things worse, the polycap that acts as the ball joint above the ankle isn't fully secured in the base of the leg, leaving some play, which gives the whole thing a wobbly feel. There's also a toe-bend gimmick added in, but it doesn't really get much practical use and actually makes the ground contact a bit awkward. The lower ankle area is honestly a bit disappointing all around, though it's not so loose that the kit just topples over. That said, if there were a heavy load on the back like on the Strike, it looks like the ankles would struggle to hold up. Gundam Exia is fine since the backpack is pretty light, but if the Double 0 Raiser — which seems like it'll come out eventually — uses the same structure, getting a stable standing pose might be a bit of a headache..

The biggest complaint I have about this kit is the inner frame. It basically gives up on any mechanical detail and just has a bare-bones frame — and unlike the Zaku 2.0, which has minimal detail but still has a nice three-dimensional shape, this one just feels like plain rectangular blocks. On top of that, there's no frame at all in the head or elbows, and the back of the legs has the polycap attachment done in a way that's so iffy you really shouldn't be removing the armor there. And on top of all that, the inner armor surface detail that you'd normally find on most MGs is almost completely absent. All things considered, the frame and inner structure feel surprisingly neglected for a modern kit — almost shockingly so.

Compared to the old 1/100, you can definitely feel the difference while building it, but once both are finished and standing side by side, they don't look all that different — and that's probably going to be a sticking point right to the end. The MG is clearly better in every way, but when you factor in the price being nearly double, it's hard not to tilt your head a little. That said, this was a foreseeable issue from the start, so there's not much you can do about it.

To sum up my overall impression of this kit... first of all, it genuinely looks beautiful while you're building it. The sharp angles, the intricate color separation, the sculpted-looking armor panels — the aesthetic satisfaction you feel as each part comes together is quite something. But if I'm being honest, it doesn't quite feel like a kit that had enough effort poured into it. The frame in particular is so bare compared to other kits that it makes me wonder if the development timeline was rushed. The articulation is great and the overall joint strength is solid, so there's nothing majorly wrong with it — but compared to Universal Century MGs, it does feel like a bit less care went into it. I'd say it's a kit that's relatively faithful to the modern MG style, but nothing more than that. It's not a masterpiece by any means, but it's a decent new MG. :-)

GOOD 3 : The clever front skirt gimmick, solid GN Blade mounting, looks great when built
BAD 3 : Regression in the inner frame, iffy ankles, not enough differentiation from the existing 1/100

MG GN-001 Gundam Exia
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★	Seam lines eliminated through thorough parts separation
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★	Clean molded colors and color separation worthy of an MG
Proportions	★★★★★	Proportions and presence that go beyond the 1/100 and feel truly MG-worthy
Articulation	★★★★★★	A-grade articulation making full use of the new joint gimmicks
Joint Strength	★★★★★	Ankles are a little shaky, but overall it's solid.
Internal Frame	★★★★	The frame covers nearly the whole body, but feels surprisingly bare for a modern kit..
Detail	★★★★★★	Sharpened angles and premium detail using a variety of materials.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	All the necessary weapons are faithfully included.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	309 parts total. 81.3 parts per ¥1,000. Price point has gone up a bit..
Uniqueness	★★★★★	Feels a little half-hearted in places, but it sure looks pretty once it's done.
Dalong's Point : 102 pts.

MG Gundam Exia | 2009. 7 | ¥4,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.